book, with still half a
dozen thousand-franc notes in it.

"I see," said the Prince.

He still hesitated for a moment or two, as if touched by some
compunction, before he put the notes into his pocket. It had occurred
to him vaguely that he might propitiate his fortune by sacrificing
this money make himself, as it were, by a timely generosity, the
creditor of good luck. But it was not the kind of thing he was used
to do.

"Eh bien!" he said, and put the notes out of sight.

"And now," said Dupontel, "let us eat."

"Yes," said the Prince slowly. "That is the next thing, I suppose.
And presently I will tell you a reason why this is a day to be
careful of."

In the elevator that bore them toward the street, he began of a
sudden to search his pockets. Dupontel, watching, him in surprise,
saw a real worry replace the customary lofty impassivity of his face.

"You have lost something?" he asked.

"Yes," answered the Prince shortly. "Take us up again at once," he
ordered the attendant.

"I will not keep you a moment," he said to Dupontel, when the
elevator had reached his own floor again, and he entered his
apartment quickly.

He found his valet still in the bedroom, putting it deftly in order,
always with that secret and furtive quality of look and movement. The
Prince, tall, notably splendid in person, halted in the doorway; the
man, mean, little, shaped by servile and menial uses, stopped in the
middle of the room and returned his gaze warily. There was an instant
of silence.

"I had a coin," began the Prince. "A gold coin, not a French one! I
had it in my pocket last night. Where is it?"

Never was anything so shallow as the other's pretence of distressed
ignorance. It was as if he scarcely troubled to dissemble his
amusement and malice.

"But I have not seen it, M'sieur le Prince," he said. "If M'sieur le
Prince wishes, I will search. Doubtless."

"I am in a hurry," interrupted the Prince. "It is a Mexican coin
worth ten francs only." He held out a coin. "Here is a ten-franc
piece. Be quick."

They were equals for the moment; the relationship was plain to both
of them. With no failing of his countenance, the valet drew the
missing, piece from his pocket.

"Mexican?" he said. "I thought it was Spanish."

The coins changed hands. Neither of them failed in his attitude; they
were well matched.

The Prince rejoined Dupontel with his Mexican gold piece still in his
hand.

"It was this I had left be